The downside of moving overseas

May 26th, 2010 by The JetSetter Team | Comments Off on The downside of moving overseas

It’s easy to get caught up in the hullabaloo and excitement of planning a move overseas. Thankfully, the human species tends to accentuate the positive and ignore the negative until it’s staring them smack dab in the face. While Jetsetter is all for travel to wherever you like on this great globe and even move there if it seems right, sometimes it helps to take a step back and ponder the possible negatives in relocating overseas.

This list is not intended to snuff the candle of inspiration because each and every item can be overcome or turned into a positive, with persistence. The goal here is simply to offer a heads up about the possibilities.

1. Cultural Isolation: The lack of shared history shows up when you don’t get dinner party jokes, aren’t sure where the best grocery store is, and don’t know which streets have hideous traffic during holidays.

2. Parenting: You might not realize how much you’ve come to rely on free child-care and emotional support from parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends until you’re several thousand miles away. At that point, it’s all you, baby!

3. New Career Credentials: Education systems are becoming more homogenous around the world but it’s still fairly common for credentials you might have spent years acquiring not to transfer across the board, especially in legal, business, and medical fields. Are ready to spend the time and effort re-training?
4. Stereotype: Are you ready to be a living, breathing stereotypical American? Better be because it’s going to happen. Everyone categorizes a new person until they get to known them. Traveling to a new country, you will be â€œThe American.â€ The passage of time will allow you to prove yourself as a unique person but it won’t happen all at once.

Perhaps the worst feeling of all will be when the homesickness strikes and it surely will. Maybe after a visit back to the States or in the dead of a sleepless night for no reason at all, or maybe when your car breaks down and you have no idea how to even begin finding a competent mechanic. Get ready for it. Realize it will pass soon. Most of all, enjoy the process. You’re doing what most people are afraid of.